Year after year, construction is ranked as one of the most dangerous jobs in America. This can be attributed to several industry characteristics, including a highly fluid workforce, hazardous jobsite scenarios and quite often, the lack of a solid line of communication from a company’s headquarters to the workers in the field. These factors all contribute to the possibility of job-related injuries and fatalities, which have been consistently slow to decline across the industry. Right now, the coronavirus outbreak has made it even more critical to make proactive decisions that are grounded in the safety of the entire construction organization. 

The following construction tips will help to keep the entire organization working effectively, efficiently and above all else, safely. 

Share frequent updates and reminders about daily work

One important tactic that can help keep a jobsite safe is to continually share reminders and refreshers about the most important information to keep it top of mind for the workforce. Construction teams have a lot of information to think about at any given time in order to execute a job well and prevent serious injuries or fatalities (SIFs). The availability heuristic dictates that people are likely to make decisions based on not necessarily what is correct, but what they can remember.

The COVID-19 pandemic is creating additional uncertainty and mental stress for workers, making it even more important to provide regular refreshers on safety training for typical tasks on the job to avoid even a small oversight that could potentially lead to a SIF. 

Communicate early and often with the entire organization

Jobsite circumstances can change by the day, and lately, by the hour. Send regular updates from headquarters to keep the entire team in the loop with any major actions that might affect them. Eliminating uncertainty within the jobsite is vital, and the capability to deploy updates as quickly as possible to the entire workforce is more important than ever. 

Check in on the front line regularly

Send notes to the team to reassure them that HQ is continuing to closely monitor the jobsite and make decisions with the team’s safety in mind. Connecting with the front-line team on-site should be a daily practice. It’s crucial to understand if they have any questions, concerns or hesitations about the tasks for that day. Increasing communication across jobsites can significantly reduce any risky or potentially fatal situations. Now more than ever, communication cohesion is an essential function on construction sites.  

Evaluate the effectiveness of training processes

In addition to establishing holistic communication from the top down, prioritizing comprehensive, in-the-moment training can significantly reduce SIFs and increase productivity on jobsites. Workers will better retain and implement new training techniques when the training is engaging and relevant to the realities of their jobs. Training that equips them with the right information to make choices helps them avoid dangerous outcomes on a jobsite. 

Embrace technology to improve safety and efficiency

Although construction is one of the oldest industries in the world, it has been notoriously slow to invest in technology to address major inefficiencies and risks, such as the communication deficit within organizations. Traditional communication methods have left construction managers struggling to deliver crucial information to those who need it most. Embracing and rolling out technology on site will help to keep teams informed, empowered and safe. 

For example, mobile-based communication applications on site simplify the training and communication process and allows for consistent messaging and expectations for everyone involved in the project. Training on important safety measures, such as preventing disease spread on the jobsite or virtual orientation to a new jobsite, can be delivered directly to the craft worker’s smartphone, and in just a few clicks, the worker can be in the training. Further, the ability to store critical information, such as orientation and certifications, in a digital database facilitates day-to-day operations and helps to ensure that everyone is operating safely at their highest level. 

At the end of the day, when it comes to safety and quality, everyone needs to be on the same page from top to bottom. The best way to keep a jobsite safe is to ensure everyone, from the home office to the front line, has easily accessible life-saving information by establishing a solid line of communication. Jobsites present new safety challenges every day but today, the industry as a whole is extremely well-positioned to innovate and make construction safer and more efficient than ever before.